Finding Ellie
by CrimsonButterfly726
Summary: What if he came back? And what if this time he wasn't going to let her out alive? (Spoilers from certain parts of the game. Can't really say which since that'll spoil the story plot)
1. If Only (Prologue)

"_Okay."_

That was all she had said to him about the matter. Okay. She knew he was lying. He had to be lying. A lot more happened back that hospital than he was letting on, because she was still drugged up and in that horrid mint green hospital gown when she woke up. But all he said was that they had stopped looking for a cure and that were many others like her. Dozens even, he had said. Yet something was off; not just in what state she was in, but how he acted around her after that. He never fully looked her in the eye anymore. He would put up a good front and try, and she would see those soft brown eyes looking into hers, but he would either look for very look or never look directly. Either way, it wasn't the same. Sure he would try and talk to her more and would always make sure that she was safe, but it felt different… but she thought she was over thinking it. Why would Joel lie to her? After every fucking thing they've been through, why would he start now? Maybe she should just take everything at face value, give him the benefit of the doubt and move on with life… or what was left of it.

When they reached the gates of Tommy's community, they were accepted immediately. When Joel's brother asked them how everything went, he told him the same thing he told Ellie. From the way Tommy had looked at him, it didn't seem like he believed him all that much either. But even he took it at face value and didn't ask another thing about it. Things were going great in the beginning; they had their own house, Ellie was learning all the things Joel had promised her. They were becoming closer every day, even with Ellie's suspicions hanging over her head. They were starting to become a family; a broken dysfunctional one, but a family all the same.

If only they didn't have that fight before they came. If only Joel could've just cut the bullshit and told her truth.

The burning building was starting to crumble just like before. The smoke was entering her lungs, making it hard to breathe. He was after her, just like before. Only this time, she was almost hundred percent sure that Joel wasn't going to be able to save her this time.

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**Ok so I have been in an EXTERMELY angsty mood lately and this idea decided to pop out at 12:30 in the morning. **

**I know it's short and not a lot isn't really being explained right now but it will be when the first official chapter is up.**

**Also, if you already have idea where this is going or who this is about, keep an open mind and wait for the explanation please? Thank you :)**


	2. Winter

**Yay I FINALLY updated this story! I've been wanting to for the longest time, but I had to finish another story, I had to work... A LOT, and I had some stuff blow up in my face but WHATEVER! I write to keep me sane!**

**Anyways, I hope you like this first chapter. It's the beginning and not a lot is explained yet but it's all cute... at first...**

**Enjoy :)**

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If there was anything Ellie loved more than cracking jokes and music, it was sleep. Especially during this time of year; when the weather would start getting colder and the snow started to fall. She hated this time of year more than anything and would rather sleep it all away. It had been two years since Joel and Ellie returned to Tommy's and began to live a normal post-apocalyptic life. They had a small house big enough for the two of them to live comfortably. They went to movies nights, watched the stars on the roof when it was nice enough outside; Joel even started teaching her all the things he had promised her. Everything was perfect, even with the hanging doubt Ellie had over her head most days. Sometimes she would forget about what happened back then, but if anything about the Fireflies were to come up, Joel would just tense up. Every time Ellie would try and question it, Joel would either change the subject or just re-tell her what he always told her.

But that doubt always took a backseat when the cold front would start to come in. The first year was horrible for the both of them. Ellie would hardly ever get any sleep that first year. When she felt that cold air nip on the back of her neck, it would take her back to when Joel was hurt; and she was all alone. She would remember running through the snow, trying to catch that deer, when he showed up trying to play nice. That face that was burned into Ellie's memory; she had so many nightmares and sometimes would wake up screaming. There was even a night where Joel came in to wake her up and Ellie almost stabbed him with the switchblade she kept under her bed. That was the first night Ellie had cried about what had happened since when he had to take her out of the burning building. She was never the same after that. Sure, she still had the same attitude and still cracked the jokes, but she didn't smile that much anymore. From that night on, Joel would always wake up to find Ellie sleeping next to him. It wasn't anything weird; it was she just that she was so used to having him next to her when they were on their journey that it didn't seem right to have him so far away. So Joel just let it be; no matter what, every morning that winter season he found Ellie either curled up at the edge of his bed, or on the floor on the side slept. It broke his heart every time to see her like that. He tried talking to her about it but the conversation always ended up the same way.

"Ellie, I think we need to talk about—

"We don't need to talk about anything."

"Baby girl, this is startin' to get outta hand 'n I think if we talk about this—

"We. Don't. Need. To. Fucking. Talk. About. Anything." Ellie would say through gritted teeth before leaving whatever she would be doing to retreat to her room, where she wouldn't out for hours.

So Joel would just try and find things to help get her mind off what happened by doing all kinds of things with her; hiking, watching the stars, telling about old stories from back before the outbreak, hell he even starting singing and doing little concerts so he could some sort of smile on her face during winter. He entered her room on this morning to wake her up. She had slept in enough already he thought, plus he was afraid that she was having a bad dream again. When he quietly opened the door, he saw her fast asleep but with a frown on her face. She was stirring and moving her head as if trying to shake whatever dream was having. Joel walked over to the side of her bed and sat down at the edge. He gently shook her, not wanting to scare her; he learned his lesson the first time.

"Ellie? Come on, baby girl wake up." He said softly.

She stirred more but only to pull the blanket over her head. This made Joel sigh in relief; at least she wasn't having a nightmare this morning. He then shook her a bit harder, in order to force her awake. Underneath the blanket, Ellie's eyes half opened and looked at Joel silhouette from the thick white cotton and morning sunlight. She yawned and sat up with the blanket still covering her face. Joel pulled it down to reveal a sleepy Ellie with horrible bed head. Joel chuckled as Ellie looked over to him and smiled.

"Sleep good then?"

Ellie nodded while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm fucking starving." She commented after hearing her stomach growl like one of the Infected.

"Well, get up 'n get dressed; I'll see what I can make." Joel nodded as he got up and left her room.

She was doing really well this morning; Joel felt like it was going to be a good day. Just as long as he doesn't mention David or anything about the Fireflies… everything will be alright. He looked through the small pantry and mini-fridge to see what there was to make. Thank God that Tommy managed to get power up and running in this place; even if it falters most of the time. He found some eggs and shrugged; better than nothing. He cracked them on the pan and waited until they were ready to mix. It felt strange and almost silly to Joel after everything he's been through. It felt weird to be waiting for eggs to be finished cooking on an actual stove; he did love that there was coffee again though. When Ellie emerged from the hallway, she was still yawned while tying her auburn hair in that classic ponytail. As if on cue, when she sat down, the eggs were ready and Joel scooted them on a smaller white plate and put in it front of her, while putting some on a plate for himself. He sat down in the seat in front of her and they began eating in silence. It wasn't awkward however; it was a comfortable silence that they've grown accustomed to since they've been around each other for so long; three years in fact. He looked for Ellie, who was eating normally but kept her eyes firmly on the table. Asking what could be on her mind wasn't something Joel wanted to ask just yet. She looked up to him and opened her eyes wide in annoyance.

"Can I help you?"

Joel cleared his throat and quickly looked back down at his now lukewarm eggs. Ellie rolled her eyes as she started picking at the last bits on her plate. She hated the way Joel got around this time. Last year, he acted like he was walking on broken glass around her until the snow melted away into spring flowers. She kept telling him every day that she was fine and nothing was wrong with her even though the screaming nightmares and the constant nagging that Joel was lying to her on brain said otherwise. But she didn't want him to worry. And she shouldn't worry about it either. He was gone. He was dead; Ellie made damn sure of that. Still, whenever she stayed outside in the snow or the image of his face came to mind… she shook her head quickly and got up from the table. Joel noticed the change in her face and quickly called out to her.

"Make sure you dress warm; I've got somethin' planned for today."

Her only response was a thumbs up as she closed the door to her room. Joel sighed as he cleaned up the small mess and got dressed himself. He honestly didn't have anything planned for today; he just didn't want to see that look on her face. He pulled back the thin curtain that hung on the window. The sun was shining bright but it didn't melt any of the fresh snow that covered the roofs and paths in the community. Some of the people who lived there were already outside enjoying the snow with their loved ones or the very few little ones that were running around. It felt almost like a dream. He never though he was ever going to have a life close to his old one ever again. He also never thought that Ellie would ever be able to live a somewhat normal life. She had spent so much of her life surviving, that she never got the chance to be just a kid. As he continued to get dressed and pulled over his brown jacket, he heard a soft knock on the door. He opened to find Ellie with her hands on her hips.

"What's taking you so long? Your age affecting those joints of yours?" she smirked.

Joel rolled his eyes as he closed the door to his room and started walking out of their house. Stepping out from the warm house into the freezing cold was like smacking into a rock. The sudden change in temperature made Ellie stop at the porch, right before the snow. Joel didn't notice and went on ahead, leaving his shoe print on the virgin snow. She tried to calm herself by breathing slowly and thinking about something other than that creep who locked her in a cage.

"_Just stay calm Ellie… He's gone now. And Joel is here with you… so you have nothing to worry about. So just stay calm—_

She suddenly felt something ice cold hit the side of her face, making her almost jump out of her skin. She looked around to find Joel was almost laughing at her. She glared as she walked over towards him.

"What the fuck was that for?!" she yelled.

"I needed to make sure you didn' fall back asleep standin' up." Joel chuckled as he squatted down into the snow and scoop it up into his hand, forming a ball. He handed it to Ellie, who looked very confused as to why he was handing her a ball of snow.

"Hit me."

"The hell?"

"I hit you with one; now hit me back."

So that's what had hit her. She put a hand to her face and felt small remains of snow sticking to her cheek and strands of her loose bangs. She took a few steps before pulling her arm back and throwing it straight for Joel. He seemed calm as he saw hurling towards his face and once it was close enough he moved his head to the side, making the snowball miss entirely. Ellie's mouth hung wide as she glared.

"What the fuck! That's not fair!"

"Well then, you try and make one." Joel chuckled.

Ellie sighed loudly, her breath coming out like smoke. She then squatted into and gathered up snow until it was in a ball similar to Joel's and immediately flung it at him, hitting him square in the square in the face. Ellie burst out laughing as she pointed at him. Joel rubbed the snow off his face and immediately bent down and started creating another. Ellie followed in suite and soon began an all out war. They didn't know when the other people and kids decided to join but there they all were in the middle of the path, having a snowball. Joel honestly didn't mind any of that as long as there was a smile on Ellie's face. This had been the happiest he had ever seen her during the winter. She ran up to him as she readied another snowball. I guess we're on the same team now; Joel thought to himself as he looked around the corner of one of the house's to see a group of kids with evil smiles on their faces. Ellie looked up to him and smiled the same smile.

"Let's get these bastards."

Joel couldn't help but laugh at her. She was finally acting like a sixteen year old girl; an odd one with the mindset of a child sometimes to some but still a teenager. They came out from the hiding place as the kids, who had acquired some of their parents to join the fight, charged in a well. They threw all the snowballs at once as Joel dodged some and protected Ellie from others. It was the best time she had ever had in snow. But it all came to an end when Joel saw Tommy, Maria, and a few other men who followed behind him. He had a very concerned look on his face, as well as the others. Everyone stopped throwing the fluffs of snow as the women held their children back to let the men pass through. Some rejoined their families but Tommy was looking straight at Joel. Ellie was still off playing with some of the younger kids, so she didn't really notice the look on Tommy's face.

"Hey baby brother. Somethin' wrong?" Joel greeted his brother.

"I need to talk to you. Now." Tommy replied in a serious tone.

Joel didn't like the sound of that. He nodded to him as they started walking back to Tommy's house. Ellie immediately noticed Joel's drifting away from her and started running after him.

"Joel? Is everything ok?"

"Everythin's find baby girl. I'll be back 'k?" Joel replied as he motioned for her to stop.

Ellie made a face but soon felt a light tug on her sleeve from the little she was playing with earlier. Ellie picked her up and nodded to Joel.

"Ok fine, but don't take long." She said nervously; she hated being alone more than anything during this time.

"Promise."

"Ellie, make snowman!" the little girl cried as she raised her hands in the air.

Ellie giggled to the girl and started walking back to where they had started building one, along with the mother who watched over her child. Joel followed Tommy all the way to his house. The silence was starting to eat at him because Tommy didn't want to mention anything until they were inside the house. Maria didn't stick around for long, for she had her own business to tend to with making sure the power didn't blow out during the winter. Once they were inside the warm house, Tommy didn't say anything until he closed the door and motioned for Joel to sit down. Something was very wrong, Joel thought as he sat down slowly.

"Tommy what the hell is going on? Are there bandits in the area or somethin'?" he asked, starting to feel frustrated.

Tommy didn't respond but put something on the table and slid it over to them. Joel picked it up and felt like his heart stopped beating and flew into his throat. It was a Firefly pendent with fresh blood splattered across it. Joel looked it over carefully as he tried to swallow his heart back into place.

"Where the hell did you find this?"

"Not far from here; I don't think they're trying to attack us, but if the Fireflies are around, they might be looking for Ellie… Joel… have you told her yet?"

"No. And she's not going to know." Joel replied quickly.

The first night that they spent at Tommy's after the events at the hospital, Joel had told him everything; the killing of the Queen Firefly, damn the whole human population because he didn't want to lose her, everything. While Tommy was almost furious with him for it, and almost told him to take her back or he would. But after seeing the way he acted around her and they way he looked like he had something to live for… who was he to take that away from his brother? So, he promised Joel that he would keep his secret from everyone, even Maria, as long as he told her eventually. But after two years and still no word or indication that Joel had told her anything, he was starting to think that he was going to take this to his grave. But if the Fireflies really were looking around for Ellie…

"Joel—

"No. I'm gonna put that on her. And I ain't gonna put that on her right now." Joel said as he looked at the frosted window. There was no way in hell he was going to tell her now; Ellie needed him now more than ever.

"Joel, if these really are Fireflies going 'round lookin' for her. What are supposed to tell her?" Tommy wasn't going to let this go.

"Tommy I'm not gonna tell her that I lied for my stupid reason! Just wait until the damn spring!" Joel shouted as he stood from the table.

Because of Joel's shouting, they didn't hear the door open. But they didn't hear something fall to the ground. Ellie stood there with a splattered snowball on the concrete ground. Her emerald eyes looked into Joel's lighter brown ones. He held his breath as Ellie took two steps to him. She didn't hear them right? She didn't hear him admit the truth did she?

"Joel?"

She did.

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**Did I just do the cliffhanger?! Yes I did! NO SHAME! D: (No honestly, I couldn't think of anything else to write after that... but it worked out its own right? Dx)**

**But, I hoped you liked this first one and there is more to come :)**

**Sadly, this one will be slower on updates, simply because unlike my other stories, that don't really have a plot but a cute short separate drabbles, this one DOES have a plot, which makes me need to think a lot harder and make sure I don't leave any weird loose ends yadda yadda. But rest assured this will be updated as soon as possible :)**

**Please tell me what y'all think :)**

**P.S. I know the prologue and summary may not make a lot of sense to some, but I promise all will be explained when the time comes yes? :D **


	3. Taken

**UGH! Finally I am somewhat happy with this chapter! The amount of times I rewrote this chapter is beyond me, but I finally got it to where I like it... I think?**

**Anyways, sorry this one took a little long updating but this one needs a lot more thinking!**

**Enjoy :)**

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The silence was screaming in his ears. Ellie wouldn't let him lose eye contact. Tommy just looked down and tried to find something else to focus on. Joel had tried to say something and cover it up, but he knew that she heard every word. Tommy finally broke the silence by coughing to clear his throat. He then looked over to Joel and then to Ellie, who looked… confused for lack of a better word. He didn't say anything but excused himself from his own house. He patted Joel's back firmly, as if to give him strength and a consoling one to Ellie, who hadn't moved an inch. He closed the door and walked over to where his wife was, which he was so glad was on the other side of town. He knew they needed their privacy…

When Tommy left, the screaming silence returned. Joel tried to move, sit back down, but every time he tried Ellie would take another step closer. What was he supposed to say? He had to start talking soon because the more that this silence dragged on, the more hurt Ellie was going to be. He cleared his throat loudly to fill the silence.

"Ellie—

"Fireflies? Joel what the fuck is going on with Fireflies?" Ellie cut him off.

"I don't know baby girl. It's probably no—

"Do you think I'm fuckin' deaf?! I heard what you said but I'm trying really, really hard to believe that what I heard was just bullshit." Ellie was on the verge of tears now.

Joel somehow found the strength to finally sit back down on the wooden chair, even though he felt like his legs were numb. He fixed his eyes on the ground, his shoes, anything that could distract him from Ellie's gaze. But she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. She walked over to him until the tips of her worn out converse met Joel's dirt covered boots.

"Which part is the bullshit Joel? What I heard or what you said two years ago?" she asked him firmly.

When Joel didn't respond, she lifted up his head, making him look at her.

"Joel?"

He finally let his eyes meet hers. They looked hurt, with tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Swear to me. Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true." She asked her question from two years ago.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence Joel finally took a deep breath.

"I swear." He lied to her again and hated himself for it, but he couldn't tell her. Not now at least.

But Ellie wasn't buying it. Not after the way he looked as if she just shot his puppy. She chuckled and pushed his head back and started pacing around the room. She had heard every word of Joel and Tommy's conversation. She had always known that he was lying to her from the moment he swore to her. But she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe she was just imagining everything. She finally turned on her heels, tears now starting to blur her vision.

"Stop with the bullshit! Joel, tell me the fucking truth! What the fuck happened back in Utah? Because I know for a fact that they didn't give up on a fucking cure!"

"What the hell do you want me to say Ellie?!" Joel shouted, finally standing up.

"The fucking truth and for you to stop walking on eggshells around me!"

"What are you talking about—?

"Oh Joel you know exactly what I'm talking about! The constant trying to keep my occupied when it snows! Just because I had some asshole come after me doesn't mean I'm damaged for life!" Ellie shouted over him.

"Well I'm sorry that I worry when I hear you screaming in your sleep!"

"Joel that's not the point! Ever since we came here you've done nothing but sure that we don't talk about what happened back at the hospital! So tell me, since you seem to be fine with telling Tommy!"

Joel looked away from her. She knew what he had but she was going to make him say it to her face. Ellie rolled her eyes and pushed Joel. She was tired of him lying to her. She tired of him still lying to her. If he wasn't going to say anything different than she must've heard right. He lied to her about everything. She was still the only person that held the answer for a cure. He killed Marlene, her only other family she ever had. The tears were falling from her eyes now, but she didn't seem to notice. Joel felt like his heart was constantly re-break itself with every tear that fell from her eyes. He didn't want to be the reason she was sad, even if it really was his fault. But he did it because he didn't want to be alone. He did it save her life. He did it because he loved her.

"You swore to me… and I fucking believed you even though I know I shouldn't have." Ellie tried to keep her voice steady.

"You were going to die… How could I let you after everything we've been through?"

"Why did you did think it was your call to make?! After all the people who have died over me it was the least I could do to hand myself over in finding a cure!"

"And what if they didn't Ellie?! Then you would've died for nothing!"

"So what?!"

"You are not going to die over something like that!"

"You had no right to make the decision you are not my father! You are not in any way my family! Marlene was but you decided to shoot her too!"

The last sentence rang through the empty house. Joel's eyes open wide while Ellie suddenly put a hand over her mouth. She didn't mean it like that. She immediately wanted to take back those words and eat them. But it was too late, she could in the way Joel looked away and started walking past her. He stopped in front of the door before looking behind him, where Ellie hadn't moved an inch.

"You're right. I'm not your dad. So you if you want to go and get yourself killed, then go find the damn Fireflies."

He slammed the door shut, and Ellie instantly fell to her knees sobbing. She didn't mean any of what she said; she was just so mad and hurt that the only person she had left in the world lied to her. She stayed sitting on the floor crying until she ran out of tears. Her bottom of her eyes felt puffy and stung every time she blinked. She sniffed the hanging snot from her nose, while wiping the rest on her sleeve. She needed to say sorry. As she got up and opened the door of Tommy's house, she was greeted by a man with a gun pointed at her face.

Joel didn't know what else to do but walk back to the house. She hated him, he could tell in her eyes. He didn't blame her though. He felt a few tears fall from the corners of his eyes but he wiped them away angrily. He shouldn't be the one crying, Ellie had every right to say what she did. Yet it still hurt like a bitch. He sat down at the small table and put his face in his hands. What if she decided to leave and go find the Fireflies? What was he supposed to do then? He didn't have anything after Ellie. Tess was gone, Sarah…, sure he had Tommy but he had Maria. He didn't realize how much Ellie had become part of his world until the thought of her consciously walking away came in to his mind. He breathed out a loud and ran his hands through his graying hair. This was a just a stupid fight. Ellie was going to be mad for a while, but then she will come around… She had to right?

Suddenly, he heard gunshots being fired. His head snapped to the door and he quickly put a hand to reach for his gun. There were a few more pops until his door broke down. He immediately raised it to fire, but saw it was his brother, who immediately had his hands in surrender. He lowered his gun immediately.

"Tommy? What the hell?"

"Where's Ellie? The town is under attack." He replied quickly while reloading his gun.

Ellie! She was still back at Tommy's. Joel quickly ran past his brother and started running towards the house. But the second he saw several armed men with their guns now pointed in his direction, he ducked behind crates and metal debris left over from whatever used to be here before the town. Taking out some of the men was a piece of cake for Joel, but his hands were shaking from the nagging worry of where Ellie was, that he missed a few times. Luckily Tommy caught up to him and aided him until the five men were gunned down.

"Where is everyone else?" Joel asked as he reloaded with the spare ammo Tommy handed to him.

"Maria and the others got it covered. The weird thing is that they seem to be looking for something more than just supplies or blowing off steam…"

"Fireflies?" Joel asked, feeling fear creep over his spine.

"Can't say for sure."

This wasn't good. If they were Fireflies, then they must be trying to find Ellie. More men came rolling in, this time in trucks. A few men form the town also came running in with guns in tow, shooting at whatever they could see. Joel and Tommy took the opportunity to leave from their spot and run back to the house. When it came into view, he could hear loud pops and screams of pain. Joel looked over to Tommy with worry. Was she still in there? Was she still breathing? Tommy motioned him to go into the house while he handled things outside. With his friends out there with him, desperate to protect their families. Joel ran inside the house, which had the door recently broken down, to find Ellie shooting down several men without much as a single blink. At least she was still here, alive. When the final man fell to the ground, Ellie looked up at Joel. Her eyes were still red but she looked relieved to see him. But the relief was short lived.

"Joel!"

He didn't turn around quick enough and Ellie couldn't fire fast enough. A man that Tommy had missed snuck up behind Joel and stabbed him clean in his right arm. The pain was sharp and intense, making Joel fall to his knees. It had been so long since he had gotten in a fight, that his age was taking more of an effect on his body. Ellie aimed and fired, giving the man a clean headshot. One he was down, she went to Joel's aid but another man came up from behind and hit her head with a metal pipe. She fell unconscious instantly. Joel tried to raise his gun but his arm hurt too much, for the blade was still lodged in it. The man wasted no time for Joel to steady himself and hit him hard with the rusted pipe as well. The man picked up Ellie and yelled for the others to retreat.

When they all left on the trucks, Tommy immediately ran to his house to find his brother completely knocked out with a blade stuck in his arm.

And Ellie was nowhere to be found.

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**Yes yes I did another cliffhanger I know. But it needed to be done. DX**

**I hope you guys liked this chapter. This one had a hard time because of the fight between Joel and Ellie. Hopefully it was done right. And I know there is still nothing really explained but in the next chapter I promise I will tell you what's going on ok? I pinky promise yes? :D**

**Reviews are always nice :)**

**Until next time :D**


	4. Where is She!

**Ahhh! I'm so so so sooo sorry this took forever and a day. I went on vacation, my birthday just passed. Yadda yadda, excuses, excuses...**

**But no more delays! Here is the next chapter!**

**Enjoy :) **

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The pain of the blade being pulled out from Joel's arm was the first thing he felt, and the thing that made him jump awake. Tommy held him down as best he could while Maria proceeded to remove it. Joel's eyes shot open as he let out a yell of pain. Tommy put more force down on his brother as Maria started to clean off the blood as well disinfecting the area. Joel tried to ask his brother what had happened. Where was Ellie? He looked around the best he could but he didn't see the auburn ponytail anywhere. Was she ok? She wasn't lying hurt on a bed next to him was she? But his mind couldn't dwell on that too much for the pain was so intense it felt like it was on fire. Did wounds always hurt this much? Before he settled in Tommy's community with Ellie, a bullet couldn't bring Joel down, and now he gets a stab wound and it felt just as bad as when the iron rod pierced through his side. He had gotten soft. Joel chuckled to himself but it was short lived when he felt the needle pierce through his skin, Maria worked as quickly and carefully as she could. When it seemed like Joel wasn't going to start kicking and screaming, Tommy loosened his grip on his shoulders.

"You ok brother?" he asked.

"I'm really startin' to feel my age now… Where's Ellie?" Joel replied, ignoring his own pain.

Tommy looked down, trying to think of some good excuse as to why she wasn't in the same room with him. But that alone was enough to prove that something was very wrong since those two were joined at the hip since they got here. Where Joel goes Ellie goes and vice versa. They were never seen apart unless told otherwise. Joel kept feeling his stomach doing flips as he tried to not think the worst. She wasn't in the small infirmary office, so that was sort of a good sign. Maybe she was off somewhere still trying to get over her tantrum… even though he knew most of it was his fault. He didn't mean to be as harsh as he was to Ellie and probably should've gone about it a different way. But after having being nagged for the past two years about telling the truth to someone who was better off not knowing and then having said person ask you about if you're lying or not… you do snap out of annoyance sometimes. All Joel wanted to do was save her; for her to be with him for the rest of his days. Sure it was a selfish wish, but you can't just take something like Ellie away… not after Sarah. He couldn't go through that again.

"We… we don't know where she is." Tommy sighed, giving up on trying finding an excuse.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Joel said slowly.

"When I finally went in the house, you were on the floor with that knife in ya. Ellie wasn't anywhere to be seen. I have a search party ready to go out and find her. And you are going to stay for here. Let Maria finish patching you up. If we find her I will bring her here first thing." Tommy explained and warned when he saw Joel trying to already sit up.

He wasn't going to listen to him. Ellie was out there and he needed to go find her and bring her back home. He also needed to tell her sorry… He needed to tell her sorry for lying and acting the way he did. But when he felt the stare from Tommy's wife, who did honestly scare him a little, he relaxed back onto the bed as she started stitching up the front of the wound. Joel just gave a defeated nod to Tommy who immediately walked out of the infirmary and started giving instructions to the rather large search party. There were a lot of people who cared about both Joel and Ellie and knew that they need to find her fast. Another thing they have learned about those two, in the two years that they have lived among them, was that one could not function without the other. It was strange, almost unhealthy to some, but after the hell that they must've gone through, they didn't expect any less.

They searched around the perimeter, deep into the forests and through some caves. But there was no sign of Ellie, or the men that had attacked. Tommy was starting to become worried the more and more he looked at the clean grass and trees. He would occasionally find the bandannas that the Fireflies would wear to identify themselves but this didn't seem right. Fireflies were known to be ruthless, but with military soldiers, not survivors. Even if they did realize where Joel did take Ellie, they would try and reason with everyone, or something before shooting up a community with women and children. Something wasn't right. This wasn't the way the Fireflies handled things; at least when Marlene was leader… When Joel told him about not only killing Fireflies to save Ellie but the Queen Firefly herself he wanted to punch him. That was his friend at one point in time. But still, he understood… sort of. That girl was the only thing that kept Joel happy. It was the first time he had seen him calm ever since Sarah. After she died, Joel didn't care about anything. He killed innocents without a second thought and never looked back. Then, this girl shows up and suddenly he has a heart; it was like he had found something to live for once again. Tommy sighed as he clutched the bandanna in his hand. He told the search party to come home when they are done, since they looked like they were going to be thorough.

As he walked back to his house with sun setting behind him, he saw Maria leaning against the closed door, pushing back the blonde strands that fell in front of her eyes. She saw her husband but didn't make any sort of movement until he was standing on the porch with her. They were quiet for moment before Maria spoke.

"Well? Any sign of her?"

"What do you think?" he moved his hands around him to show the absence of the teenager, "How is he doing?" he motioned his head over to the door.

"He's fine; I gave him some pain medication and he knocked right out. He should alright be the morning."

Tommy sighed with relief. It wasn't like he was worried that his brother was going to die but rather he was relieved that he was going to be up and walking tomorrow… He picked up the bandanna and showed to Maria when he heard her ask something about finding anything but was too much into his own thoughts to really pay attention. Maria grabbed the bandanna and looked over it carefully.

"Fireflies?"

"I don't know. This isn't how they usually do things… whoever this is; they must have it out for those two. No doubt they made a lot of enemies along their journey but this one must have something personal if they are going to go to this much trouble as to try and pretend to be Fireflies." Tommy shook his head as he took the piece of cloth back.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Well, we are just gonna have to wait for Joel to wake up. That's all we really can do right now." He sighed as he looked through the window to see his brother fast asleep but with a deep frown on his face.

* * *

Everything was a blur the first few hours. The blow to her head made her disoriented and dizzy, almost making her want to puke. She kept seeing people every now and again, but everything always went black. It was until she felt the bumps of the dirt road and the ice cold wind bite the back of her neck did she finally stir. Her vision was still blurry but she saw the figures of other people with her. Some concerned, sitting up looking over her, with other figures looked like they were lying down. Ellie put her hand to where her head was throbbing and felt a huge bump that stung from the slightest touch. She immediately put her hand down as she tried to sit up, but felt like she was going to throw up again. She felt a small soft hand help her sit up steadily until she was leaning up against a wall.

"Are…ok?" Ellie heard faintly.

"W-what?" Ellie managed to say as her vision started focusing.

Before here was a group of five people; two adults, two teenagers, and a little girl, who was also the one who helped her sit up.

"I asked if you were ok. Can you tell us your name? Daddy says to always ask someone their name after they've been hit to make sure that they still have the ability to speak… or something like that." The little girl smiled, showing that she was missing some of her baby teeth; she must've been no older than six.

"E-Ellie… My name is Ellie." She replied as she felt her mind start turning again.

When her vision was back to its clear self, she took a good look around her surroundings. They were in some sort of truck, with on windows to see outside. It was getting colder from the lack of heat and the cold metal pressing against her jacket. The sun must be setting as well, she thought to herself. She looked back to the group of people who now looked like actually human beings than shadows. They all looked tired, hungry, and scared.

"Nice to meet ya Ellie. My name is Alice." The little girl chimed, making Ellie look back down at her.

"Please excuse my daughter. We've been trying to get her to sleep but she refused until she knew that you were ok." A woman apologized; that must be her mother.

Ellie waved her hand to show that it was ok. She no intention of moving her head more than she needed to.

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked; judging by how tired and weak they looked, they must've been in the back of this truck for days now.

"We don't know. We were picked up a few days by these…people… They started asking us questions about a girl. When they realized that we didn't know anything they stopped harassing us but now they won't let us leave. It must've been you they were looking for." The mother explained.

"Me?"

"It must be you. They wouldn't stop talking about some girl that needed to find. And then pretending to be Fireflies in order to distract your companions… You must've done something to really piss them off." The man next to her sighed.

It's true. She and Joel had made some really nasty enemies along the way to finding the Fireflies, but who would be crazy enough to go out looking for them; for her even? There was a sudden bang on the truck, making everyone jump.

"Hey shut the fuck up back there!" a deep voice growled.

The little girl named Alice scrambled back to her parents, while they looked down in fear. Ellie wanted to say something to that man, give her a piece of her mind, but she was defenseless, with only her switchblade in her pocket. Plus the way her head still felt, she was in no condition to be picking fights. The rest of the ride was quiet with only coughing and sneezing from Ellie's newest companions. She felt the pain on her head subside a little as the drive went on. She thought back to Joel and how that man stabbed him. He should be alright. He took a damn iron rod through the stomach almost and came out just fine. He'll be alright. He'll come looking for me when he realizes I'm gone. He has to… Ellie could feel herself start to worry though. They did have a nasty fight before they were attacked. What if he thought that she left to go find the Fireflies and didn't bother to come after her? What if the wound was worse than it looked and he bled out before anyone got to him? Her mind was starting to spin through different scenarios before the truck came to an abrupt halt, masking her head smack into the wall. It hurt like a bitch but she didn't have time to rub it better, for the doors opened and the cold blast of wind filled the back. The people who were inside with her tried to crawl away but the men were too fast and too strong to break out of. They separated the kids from their parents. Alice screaming and cried until her face turned red, making Ellie clench her fist. When one of the men came after her she kick him in the face and crawled out of the back before trying to make a run for it. Another man tackled her down, putting her face down in the snow. Ellie tried to move, reach for the switchblade in her pocket but the man had put all his weight on her. He picked her up roughly and put a blindfold over her eyes. Ellie started yelling profanities and tried to kick or punch him but it did nothing to faze the man. Once the cloth was securely around her eyes they pushed into some sort of building. The cries from Alice slowly faded s they went deeper into wherever they were. At least it was warm. She heard a metal door creak open and the man threw her inside, making her hit her head on the cold concrete ground. She was surprised that she didn't have a concussion; or maybe she did but the adrenaline wasn't letting the pain seep through. Ellie tore off the blindfold and noticed that she was in a cage like some sort of animal. There were only two lights that light up the whole room; one in her cage, looking like a spotlight, and the other in the distance. She could see a figure sitting in a chair, sitting just before the light, making it look dark and menacing. Ellie glared as she stood up with her hands on the bars.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

The figure laughed; she realized it was a man's voice… he almost sounded like…

"Y'know you're a tough little girl to find. I told you that you had no idea what I'm capable of."

Ellie's heart stopped.

* * *

**Damn right? Again sorry for another cliff hanger. Ellie would kill me Dx**

**Ok so as promised I'm finally going to tell you what the hell is going on in this fic.**

**This is about the idea of what would happen if David survived and it out for Ellie (as most of you figured out by now). Now I KNOW that Ellie killed him during the Winter chapter (I mean did you see that scene... brutal). But for the sake of this fic let's just assume that he survives that. (How he does you'll just have to read and see.) Y'know kind of like a boogey man character. He can never really die sort of thing. (But who knows if he does when Joel gets done with him...if he finds Ellie in time anyway...)**

**Alright enough through provoking things! **

**I will try and update this more often. Sorry if this chapter kind of sucked, but I needed to get this one out of the way before I could get to the good stuff. You know, like one of those "backstory" or "explaination" chapters. Anyway...**

**Reviews are always nice :D**

**Until next time!**


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